Sanding device for railway rolling stock



March 9, 1948. N. E. GEE I 2,437,384

I SANDING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY ROLLING smocx Filed April 17, 1947 A Patented Mar. 9, 1948 'AT ENT O FFICE SANDING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK Norman E. Gee, Narberth, Pa.

Application April 17, 1947, Serial No. 742,119

1 Claim.

This invention relates to sanding devices for steam, electric or Diesel-electric locomotives, and other types of railway prime movers.

- One of the objections to sand discharging pipes now-generally in use is that they frequently become clogged, at or near their discharge end and therefore fail to discharge sand when required. As is well known, sand is usually used on wet or ice-coated rails, and most clogging of the outlet and of the sand pipe is due to water spray or-mist' being thrown upward in advance of the Wheel and toward the sand pipe outlet. When this condition occurs and the water or mist freezes, with or without entrained sand or foreign matter, the entire sanding apparatus is rendered useless for its intended purpose. Not only is the opening up of the pipe a laborious operation but loss of running time due to clearing the pipe, orslowing of schedules because the sanding device is out of order, is undesirable.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a nozzle which is expansible under air pressure to release the clogged material and permit it to be ejected by said pressure. In that connection, the invention contemplates a sanding nozzle made of rubber, or rubber compound, provided with an expansible outlet portion which may be dilated by means of an air jet to eject snow, ice or other foreign material that may be blocking the outlet, or which may be carried down the sand pipe from the sand trap on the locomotive.

Another object is to more accurately direct the sand stream directly on the rail adjacent the wheel tread, thus insuring proper and economical distribution of sand, regardless of weather conditions under which the locomotive may be operated.

A further object is to enable enginemen to more easily maintain their train schedules on long runs, or heavy grades, due to the fact that the positive sand ejecting means afiorded by the present invention is not only available in an emergency without stopping the train, and, at the same time, is so disposed and arranged as not to interfere with the free flow of dry sand when unusual conditions ar absent.

With the above and other objects in view, which will be more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully pointed out, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of the invention.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention, no change is required in sanding equipment as ordinarily used on either steam, electric or Dieselelectric locomotives, to which the invention may be applied. That is to say, the present invention is in the nature of an attachment for the outlet end of sanding pipes which may be readily installed and applied on standard equipment.

Accordingly, as will be observed from the drawings, the present invention essentially includes in its organization a nozzle assembly designated generally as A and B. The nozzle proper preferably includes a body ll) of hollow tubular formation made of molded rubber or rubber compound and of suificient internal diameter to fit over the discharge end of the sanding pipe S. Attachment of the uniformly cylindrical portion of the body to the sanding pipe is effected by any suitable form of pipe clamp which may be positioned between the spaced external ribs lI-ll. outlet end of the body 10 is preferably tapered as indicated at l2 and terminates at'a discharge outlet I3. Molded integrally with the body I!) is the air supply member B which constitutes a part of the general sanding assembly. As will be seen from the drawings, the air supply means includes a laterally offset portion l4 having a passage l5 terminating in a discharge outlet I6 in the tapered portion l2 of the main nozzle body. The outlet N5 of the passage l5 has its axis disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the tubular body Ill. The air supply element is further provided with a sleeve or extension I! disposed substantially parallel to the body Ill and adapted to receive the end of a pipe [8 connected with a source of compressed air supply.

When the assembly A-B is mounted on the end of a sanding pipe and the air supply portion The B is connected with a source of compressed air, it will be apparent that air, under the control of the engineman, may be admitted to the interior of the tapered portion E2 to assist in the ejection of sand, ice, or other foreign matter collected and congealed within the outlet l3. Due to the fact that the tapered end portion [2 of the body it is resilient, it will be apparent that when air is supplied under pressure" from the opening iii, the tapered portion (2 near the tip thereof will expand and thus permit the airblast to blow out and dislodge the foreign matter such as ice, etc. collected in the tapered portion of the nozzle. After the foreign matter has been dislodged, then dry sand from, the sand box on the locomotive may be continuously supplied in the normal manner through the outlet it.

When the assembly A-B is carried by the end of the sand pipe S, the nozzle i3 is directed toward the gap between the tread T of the locomotive wheel and the upper face F of the rail so as to deposit the at the proper place and in the most economical manner. Also, due to the manner in which the device is installed at the end of the sand pipe, it will be apparent that there is no interference with any of the other apparatus on the locomotive.

It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art, that changes in the minor details or" construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A sanding nozzle for directing sand onto railway rails adjacent the wheels of rolling stock, comprising a hollow distensible sanding body of resilient rubber, said body including a cylindrical portion having an integral exterior rib 'at one free end and a second integral and exterior rib spaced therefrom, said ribs being adapted to prevent the dislocation of attaching means sur- 4 rounding said body portion between said ribs, said body also including an exteriorly and interiorly frustro-conical portion integral at its wider end with said cylindrical portion and having its smaller diameter at its free open end, and a compressed air inlet distensible member formed integrally with said body and of resilient rubber, said inlet member being disposed laterally of said body and including a cylindrical portion disposed parallel to said cylindrical body portion, said cylindrical inlet member portion being formed for connection to a compressed air line, said inlet member also including an exteriorly and interiorly frustro-conical portion having an axis forming an obtuse angle with the axis of said cylindrical portion of the inlet member, said frustro-conical inlet member portion thus forming a frustro-conical passage having its smaller diameter remote from the cylindrical portion of member portions and distends said conical body portion laterally or in the plane of said body and inlet member to dislodge frozen said and the like closing the open end of said conical body portion.

NORMAN E. GEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,253 Dodge Feb. 4, 1902 2,196,977

Campbell et al Apr. 16, 1940 

